The concept of gene-for-gene co-evolution is a major model for research on the evolution of resistance against parasites in crop plants, reciprocal evolution between species in natural plant populations, and mathematical models of the dynamics of co-evolution. Harold H. Flor discovered this relationship which suggested that for each gene conditioning resistance in the host, there was a corresponding gene conditioning pathogenicity and his study allowed him to deduce what is popularly known as the gene-for-gene hypothesis. His interpretation of host-parasite genetic interaction has proven to be a critically important paradigm in plant pathology and of extraordinary utility in the breeding of disease resistant cultivars. Flor extensively used this his hypothesis and explained genetic relationships in different rusts and in other diseases, as well as in diverse symbiotic relationships such as plants and herbivorous insects. Recent studies have begun to challenge the prevailing view that natural selection within local plant populations is the major evolutionary process driving this form of co-evolution. The emerging pattern from these studies suggests that metapopulation structure, including the effects of gene flow and genetic drift, may be at least as important as local natural selection in determining the genetic dynamics and outcomes of these evolutionary arms races.
Patrick Mawuenyegan Norshie
1 opmerking:
One of the more 'scientific' blog entries: your topic sentence would not be out of place for a genuine research article. Perhaps a bit too heavy for 'just a blog', but very promising for the paper!
Because the text is about Prof. Flor, I found it a bit strange not to find his name in the topic sentence. On the other hand, you could argue that his research is much better known, and that you can start with that and introduce his name a bit later. Still, I would have tried to work in his name into the first sentence and shift some of the importance-for-the-field stuff to the second sentence.
You use 'this/his' well to create links over sentences. It increases the cohesion of the text.
In the sentence below, I'd stop after 'pathogenicity' and then start a new sentence, because the subject of the second part is not the same as in the beginning. Grammatically it works, but it does not improve flow.
Harold H. Flor discovered this relationship which suggested that for each gene conditioning resistance in the host, there was a corresponding gene conditioning pathogenicity and his study allowed him to deduce what is popularly known as the gene-for-gene hypothesis.
For the rest of the blog, there is good flow, and a good zigzag pattern of information.
Well done.
Olaf
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